Seated Twist - Ardha Matsyendrasana
Unwinding with a seated twist is a great way to relieve stress, mild depression, anxiety and detoxify your body. Twists are poses that squeeze and massage your organs. Detoxification on a regular basis is important. Toxins build up in the body and can cause disease. Practicing yoga is an excellent way to cleanse your body of toxins. Twists are poses that specifically squeeze and massage your internal organs clearing them of unwanted built up of toxins.
Benefits of Seated Twist
Twists are cleansing and nourishing for the body. When coming out of a twist, large amounts of stored tension is released. This relaxes your body delivering fresh blood and nutrients to your muscles and organs.
Twists massage and stimulate the abdominal area, improve circulation, digestion and elimination. They also help improve your immunity by stimulating the lymphatic system. This system releases toxins from the body, making it stronger to fight disease.
A seated twist is great for your spine and the muscles around it. This is because every nerve of the body roots from the spine. When you twist and release the spine, you are affecting the nerves in your whole body. It's important to lengthen the spine before twisting to create space between every vertebrae. This restores the natural range of motion of the spine, stimulates the internal organs, rebalances the hormones and increases circulation throughout the body. Daily practice of this pose can reduce back and neck pain.
If you have any spinal injury, you shouldn't perform any twists.
Steps for Seated Twist
- Start with both legs extended.
- Bend the right knee and cross you foot over your left leg.
- Keep the left leg strong with the foot flexed.
- Reach the back arm towards the back floor.
- Lift and open your rib cage.
- Repeat on the other side.
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